Arts in Raleigh, October 2026: Ancient Nubia at the NCMA to Jan. 10, Dracula's last weekend, Jewels Nov. 19-22, Messiah Dec. 4-5 and Burning Coal's Seafarer.

The North Carolina Museum of Art’s Ancient Nubia runs through Jan. 10, Carolina Ballet’s Dracula plays its last weekend Oct. 30 to Nov. 1, and Jewels follows Nov. 19-22. The NC Symphony’s Handel’s Messiah is Dec. 4-5, and Burning Coal opens The Seafarer on Dec. 3.

Last checked Oct. 27, 2026. This page covers the next six weeks and is retitled each month. Every listing links to the organizer or venue; confirm times with them before you go. For everything else, see things to do this month and this weekend.

Where the venues are

  • North Carolina Museum of Art: 2110 Blue Ridge Road
  • Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts: 2 E. South St. (Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, Fletcher Opera Theater, Meymandi Concert Hall); box office 919-996-8700, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays
  • Raleigh Little Theatre: 301 Pogue St.
  • Artspace: 201 E. Davie St., 919-821-2787
  • Downtown parking: our parking guide

Exhibitions now showing

  • Ancient Nubia: Excavating Treasures of the Nile, North Carolina Museum of Art, East Building, through Sunday, Jan. 10, 2027. The museum’s ticketed fall show of treasures from ancient Nubia’s tombs and royal courts on the Nile. Tickets $20 for adults, $17 for seniors, $12 for students ages 7 to 22, free for children 6 and under and members. Exhibition page.
  • Nancy Baker Cahill: Ecologies of Scale, North Carolina Museum of Art, East Building and the Museum Park Ellipse, through Sunday, Jan. 31, 2027. Video installations, sculpture, works on paper and augmented reality pieces about the natural world. Free. On Thursday, Nov. 5, the museum projects her large videos onto the West Building during After Hours. Exhibition page.
  • Common Ground: Art, Nature, and People, college students’ work on nature and environmental justice, NCMA East Building Education Gallery, opens Saturday, Oct. 31, and runs to May 30, 2027. Free opening from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7. Opening event.
  • Park Billboards: Jalen Jackson, in the NCMA’s Museum Park, last days through Sunday, Nov. 1. Free. Exhibition page.
  • Whatever Happened to Luba’s Twin?, Vera Weinfield, Artspace Upfront Gallery, 201 E. Davie St., through Sunday, Nov. 1. Artspace is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday to Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Artspace.
  • Art What You Eat, Block Gallery, Raleigh Municipal Building, 222 W. Hargett St., through Friday, Oct. 30. Free, 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. weekdays only. City arts page.

Artspace had not listed its next shows when we checked. CAM Raleigh, the contemporary art museum in the Warehouse District, has paused exhibitions and programs while it plans its future, its exhibitions page says.

Theater and dance

  • Curtain Call From Beyond, theater ghost and history tours of Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, evenings through Thursday, Oct. 29. Tour page.
  • Dracula, Carolina Ballet, Fletcher Opera Theater, last weekend: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31; and 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1. Martin Marietta Center.
  • Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Raleigh Little Theatre, through Sunday, Nov. 8. Shows at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays, plus 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29; the 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, show is audio described. Adults $33; seniors, students and military $30. Show page.
  • The Nutcracker, Carolina Youth Ballet, Fletcher Opera Theater, 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, and noon and 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14. Carolina Ballet’s own run is Dec. 10-24; see our Nutcracker page. Martin Marietta Center.
  • Knock Knock, Raleigh Little Theatre, Wednesday, Nov. 18, to Friday, Dec. 4. A 30-minute show for ages 5 and under, capped at 50 people. Shows at 10 a.m., 11:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., except Saturday, Nov. 21 (3 and 4:15 p.m.), and no shows Nov. 25-26. Adults $10, children under 12 $5; babies under 1 free with a reserved ticket. Show page.
  • Jewels, Carolina Ballet, Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, Thursday, Nov. 19, to Sunday, Nov. 22: 7:30 p.m. Thursday to Saturday, plus 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Martin Marietta Center.
  • The Seafarer, Conor McPherson’s play, Burning Coal Theatre Company, Murphey School Auditorium, 224 Polk St., Dec. 3-20: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. Burning Coal.
  • Cary Ballet Company’s “The Nutcracker,” Fletcher Opera Theater, Saturday, Dec. 5. Event page.

Concerts and classical

NC Symphony concerts are at Meymandi Concert Hall, 2 E. South St.

  • Family Fun Concert: Halloween at Hogwarts, NC Symphony, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31. Concert page.
  • Indigo Girls, Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5. Event page.
  • Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5, NC Symphony, 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, and Saturday, Nov. 7. Concert page.
  • North Carolina Master Chorale: America 250, Meymandi Concert Hall, 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8. Event page.
  • Isidore String Quartet, NCMA SECU Auditorium, 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8, $31. NCMA.
  • How to Train Your Dragon, NC Symphony plays the film score live, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, and 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14. Concert page.
  • Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1, NC Symphony, 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, and Saturday, Nov. 21. Concert page.
  • Cirque Holiday Pops, NC Symphony, 4 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25; 3 and 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27; and 3 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28. Concert page.
  • A Motown Christmas, Fletcher Opera Theater, 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 29. Event page.
  • Handel’s Messiah, NC Symphony, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, and 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5. Concert page.
  • North Carolina Master Chorale: Joy of the Season, Meymandi Concert Hall, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8. Event page.

Classes and workshops

  • Craft Night at the Museum: Mask Making, NCMA, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29. The museum lists it as sold out. NCMA.
  • Lasting Impressions: Clay Relief with Isys Hennigar, NCMA, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7. NCMA.

Regular events

  • NCMA After Hours, the museum’s free monthly evening, next 5:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5. NCMA.
  • Art on the Dot, short docent talks at the NCMA at 2:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, and free public tours at 1 p.m. on weekends. NCMA events.

Send us your event

Running an exhibition, a show or a concert in Raleigh? Email hello@raleighnewsdaily.com with the date, time, venue, price and a photo. Listings are free, and they go on this page and in our diary.

Frequently asked questions

What art exhibitions are on in Raleigh right now?

Ancient Nubia runs at the North Carolina Museum of Art through Jan. 10, 2027, alongside the free Nancy Baker Cahill show through Jan. 31. The free Common Ground show opens at the NCMA on Oct. 31, and Vera Weinfield’s show is at Artspace through Nov. 1.

How much are tickets to Ancient Nubia at the NCMA?

The museum lists $20 for adults, $17 for seniors 65 and older, $12 for students ages 7 to 22, and free entry for children 6 and under and for members.

When is Handel’s Messiah in Raleigh this year?

The NC Symphony plays Handel’s Messiah at Meymandi Concert Hall at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, and 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, according to the Martin Marietta Center.

Are there free arts events in Raleigh this fall?

Yes. The NCMA’s Nancy Baker Cahill and Common Ground exhibitions, the Common Ground opening on Nov. 7 and NCMA After Hours on Nov. 5 are free, as is the city’s Block Gallery show through Oct. 30.